An Unexpected Recovery
by DxDOnline
Summary: WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE NEWEST ANIME ARC! DON'T READ WITHOUT KNOWING THE ARC'S ENDING (i.e. HAVE READ THE LIGHT NOVEL) They said she only had a couple more months to live... They told her that she would die... But what they didn't know was that a cure was on it's way.
1. Chapter 1: The Big News

**Chapter 1: The Big News**

**Hey everybody! I just wanted to thank all of you who may have read my last story. It is a work in progress and I am sorry it is taking me this long to update it. Now, here is my second story for you all, titled ****An Unexpected Recovery****. This story is set just ahead of the anime Mother's Rosario arc; basically, I am changing events from the light novel. Therefore, I suggest that if you have not yet read the light novel, do NOT read this story. This story contains SPOILERS regarding the series, although I will be changing the light novels path a little. As always, if you like this story, please review any suggestions as to how you want it to go, and favorite and/or follow as you see fit. Well, now that I have finished my little rant, I give you the story.** **ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>The year was 2026. Yuuki had received word no more than four months ago that there was no hope for her, that she had six more months to live; that the AIDS virus would take hold of her physical body and kill her in just six months. Upon hearing that news just 4 months ago, all she could do was cry out her sorrows. Her mom and dad had passed away just two years ago, and her sister had passed just last year form that same disease. Now truly alone, she didn't know what to think about the last 6 months of her life.<p>

At first, she thought things would get better. She thought she could surpass the disease, and that she would be able to live in peace someday. Then, people found out she was infected. Shouts of hate and disgust began to fly her way, and soon enough, she began to gradually get worse. By March of 2025, she was sent to the hospital for treatment and care. Later on, she was introduced to the virtual reality and VRMMORPG's. The doctors said that this would help her get her mind of things and to relax. So she played.

By the second month of hospitalization, she had delved deep into those immersive worlds. She had met new people and seen so many amazing things. In fact, she got to the point that she didn't want to leave those worlds. She wanted to stay in them foreve.r, because in those worlds, she wasn't ill. She wasn't struggling for her life in those worlds. She was strong and healthy, and was becoming even stronger even though her own physical body became weaker.

Then, that fateful day came. Yuuki remembered it exactly. October 10, 2025.

* * *

><p><em> One of the lead doctors came in to Yuuki's room while she was eating lunch. A ham sandwich with cheese and an apple along with some orange juice was all she was given, but for her, it was delicious. The doctor got closer to her bead, which had her full dive device, the MediCuboid, hanging just above it. "Yuuki... there's something we need to tell you. Something important," said the doctor.<em>

_Yuuki stopped eating, and looked up at the doctor. "Sure, what's up?" she asked, genuinely curious._

_"Well... I don't exactly know how to put this... your family got killed not that long ago by the same disease that afflicts you now, and well... I don't exactly WANT to tell you this... ummm..." stammered the doctor._

_ "Oh, geez, will you just say it already!" said Yuuki, frustrated that the doctor was in the room._

_ "Well... based on some tests that we have conducted over the time you have been here, we have concluded that... well... you aren't going to make it," the doctor explained._

_"Wait, what are you talking about?! Spit it out!" shouted Yuuki in shock._

_"Yuuki, based on our results, we conclude that you only have six more months to live," finished the doctor._

_Yuuki just sat there in shock. She had always imagined that she would leave the hospital happy and healthy. That she would be taken care of and cured some day. But all she got was six more months. Six more lousy months in the hospital. "When did you determine this, doctor?" asked Yuuki._

_ "Just last night, as we were looking at some tests that we conducted over the course of your stay," the doctor explained, "We determined that at the rate the virus is affecting your body, it will completely take hold and kill you in six months time."_

_ Yuuki was in despair. She didn't know what to think. It was as if all her hopes and dreams had gone down the drain. In an instant, that sadness turned into rage._

_"Get out," said Yuuki._

_"Excuse me?" asked the doctor._

_ "I said GET OUT! OUT, OUT, OUT, GET OUT!," Yuuki screamed. She was mad. All her dreams were not going to come true. She would be confined to the hospital until the day she died. The doctor backed off and got near the door. _

_At that moment, Yuuki wanted to fly. She wanted to soar and get away from this hospital and her life. She wanted to live free of the disease and grow up a normal student. She slowly curled up into a sitting ball, desperately trying to hold back the tears. "Why can't I live like a normal kid? Why do I have to suffer?" thought Yuuki. _

_The doctor near the door witnessed that she was slowly shedding tears. He saw her pain, her anguish at being trapped in this situation. Then, she felt someone give her a hug. She hadn't even realized that she was curled up with her knees close to her chest and tears rolling down her eyes. When she turned to where she felt the hug, she saw the doctor there with her._

_Looking at him do that, she started to cry even more. Not because of her situation or because of the news, but because she had someone to be there with. Through the night, he stayed with her, watching her sleep peacefully._

* * *

><p>As Yuuki thought about that day, she got more and more depressed. She finally decided to stop and go back online.<p>

Lately she has been going online a lot. Maybe it was because, deep down, she hoped to be like that person online: strong, healthy, and living out her life in peace. As she thought about these things, she lay down on her bed and brought down her full dive device, the Medicuboid, near her head. The device was about the size of a medium watermelon, yet somehow light. It looked like a newer version of the Amusphere, except with a part that shields the top part of her skull. The thing also functioned like an Amusphere. So after she decided on what game to play, she laid down on the gurney, put on the device, and shouted, "Link Start!"

A bright white light shined and it seemed as though she was sucked in. Then all of a sudden, she got a message in the corner of her screen. "Oh, great, now what's up," Yuuki wondered. The message read, "**Yuuki, Big News for YOU. As soon as you log in, log back out so we can tell you all the details! Signed, Doctor Lawrence**." "_Hmm, that's odd. What could he mean",_ Yuuki wondered.

She did as the doctor told her. As soon as she entered her in-game avatar, she opened her main menu and logged out. As soon as she logged out and removed her MediCuboid, she saw the face of the head doctor, Dr. Lawrence. He was a short, muscular man in his late twenties with a little goatee just beneath his lower lip. He had on a white coat and an ID badge pinned to his coat's lapel. "Hey, Yuuki, how have you been faring?" he asked.

"Well, I could be running around and playing with other kids, if that's what you mean'" Yuuki responded sarcastically.

"Now, now," Dr. Lawrence said, "No need to get all fussy when we have such good news to give you!"

"So, what is this 'good news'," Yuuki asked.

"Well, based on your condition," Dr. Lawrence began, "The team that looks over you, along with myself, have agreed to begin treatment with an experimental cure that we have just developed," the doctor finished ecstatically.

At first, Yuuki didn't know what to think. "_An experimental cure? What is he saying,"_ Yuuki thought. Then, it hit her. "_A chance to get out of here. To be rid of the virus and to live freely among other kids!" _Yuuki was in shock. Tears began to stream down her face because she couldn't hold them back. A chance to be free and to live the way she wanted to live was all she wanted.

"Treatment will begin tomorrow at around 8 AM. You better be ready," Dr. Lawrence said with a smile. As the doctor's exited, with Dr. Lawrence at the rear, Yuuki whispered, "Thank You, Dr. Lawrence." Dr. Lawrence just smiled in response. This may be the longest night of her life, but it would be worth it in the end, because she would get treatment that may very well help save her life.


	2. Chapter 2: The Long Road Ahead, Pt 1

Chapter 2: The Long Road Ahead- Pt 1.

A/N: Hello, people of Fanfiction. I have a question for all of you. So far, what can you say about this story? Now, I know that this question is a little redundant in this community, but I seriously want to know. I want to tailor this story to other fans of the SAO series, and as such, I want to know what you think should happen to our dear friend Yuuki. So anyway, that's my bit, and now, I give you the second chapter of this story. As always, leave a review and favorite and/or follow as you see fit, and here you go. ENJOY!

As the day ended, Yuuki had delved back into the game world to one of her most favorite games: Alfheim Online. Most recently, she had logged in about 100 hours in the world of ALO. Most recently, she had been working with friends she met that are in the same situation as she is, all with illnesses that had no cure and that all harbored death. They had all created a guild known as the Sleeping Knights guild.

When Yuuki finally arrived in her ALO avatar, it was already 8 in the evening. Yet she knew her guild mates were still in the game. _Why would the leave, anyway_, Yuuki thought, _It's not like they had anything better to do in the hospital. _In her mind, this made sense. Why would they leave the game, where they feel no pain, if they were suffering in their own physical bodies.

As Yuuki went to the tavern that was near the teleport gate, she began to think, _Am I really gonna get cured? Am I really gonna have a chance? _Her body shuddered with joy, and her mind went blank for half a second. _Hey Yuuki, calm down_, she thought.

When she got the tavern, the first person she found was Siune. She was sitting at a table by herself. As she got closer to the Siune's table, she noticed something bizarre. While her posture looked like she was relaxed and calm, she noticed a bright trail that led down her face. _Tears? Was she really crying? What's going on? _She decide to come in behind the mage and surprise her, to sort of cheer her up. She slowly creeped up behind her chair, and right when she got to the back of it, she shaked the chair a little, which made the person in it jump a little.

"Hey! Who's back there?!" the mage asked in fright.

"It's me!" Yuuki said as she poked her head from behind Siune's chair. Siune just slumped in her chair, relieved that it wasn't some random guy out to get her.

"Yuuki sat down across from her friend and ordered some food for herself. She didnt know why, but for some reason, she felt hungry. She turned to her friend.

"So, what's up? What are you doing hanging out here all alone?" Yuuki asked.

"Well, I just decided to grab a quick bite and then head out to meet the others at the stone."

"Oh.", Yuuki said, a little dimayed. By the stone, Yuuki knew she was referring to the Monument of Swordsman that was located in New Aincrad. The big stone on the first floor of the Black Iron Castle in New Aincrad's Starting City had now become a familiar meeting place. Everyone in the Sleeping Knights guild, of which she was the proud leader, wanted their names engraved on it.

However, in order for that to happen, they needed to defeat a floor boss, which is nearly impossible to do with just themselves. The other problem was that if they help other guilds in a normal boss raid party defeat the floor boss, then only the names of the guild leaders who participated become engraved.

So that was their issue. For some time, Yuuki had been looking for someone to help them find that someone who could help them. Their guild currently had six members, and the stone engraving can hold up to 7 members per floor boss. They knew that going into the boss room with six people would be suicide, so they had all agreed that they needed a 7th person to help them fight. They knew this person had to be strong and had to have a strong respect for the game and other players.

"Well, you seem pretty pensive today," Siune said, breaking up Yuuki's train of thought.

"Yeah, I guess I have a lot on my mind," responded Yuuki, "Besides, I've been thinking about the good news I have for all of you." She had considered telling Siune first, since she was her second in command.

"Really?! What is it?" asked Siune. Although Yuuki wanted to tell her the good news, she decided to hold off and wait until they meet the others. "Oh, come on, Yuuki. Can you at least give me a hint as to what it is?" Siune pleaded.

"Nope, not until we meet the others at the Black Iron Castle," Yuuki said jokingly. Siune sighed and gave up her advances in trying to find the truth. She figured that she wouldn't get anywhere with Yuuki anyway, her being as stubborn as she is.

Soon after, an NPC brought the young women their orders. As they finished their meal, they got up and left a tip for the MPC server that had brought their meals. _They may not be completely alive, but it's good to be modest, at least, _Yuuki thought_. _Within an hour they were prepared at the teleport gate, ready to go to meet the others at the Monument of Swordsmen .

"Teleport! Starting City!" the girls shouted. In an instant, they shined brilliantly one moment, and the next moment they were gone. A few seconds later, they arrived at the center plaza of the Starting City. Several players were in the Central Plaza, chatting awa about the latest quest and trading both information and gear. Siune and Yuuki ignored all this and went straight for the Black Iron Castle, which was located on the eastern side of the city.

Upon reaching the Castle, one thing was clear. The building was huge! it was probably around 50 meters high and the metal shined in the rays of the setting sun. In Yuuki's opinion, this view was one of the best sights she's seen since she started playing. Upon entering the main floor, they were astounded by the grandness of the space, despite the repeated visits. A few meters ahead of them, the stone stood. It's black surface had a somewhat glossy tone,many the light that streamed behind it only added to that effect. As they got closer to the stone, they noticed that the rest of the guild had already gathered there.

"Hey, guys!" Yuuki said rather excitedly, "How's everyone been?" by the looks on everyones' faces, they looked happy to see Siune and Yuuki.

"Hey Yuuki!" said Tecchi, the hammer-wielder, "We've been waiting for you guys for a little over 20 minutes. What were you doing?"

"Oh, we just grabbed a quick bite to eat on Floor 20 before we came here," explained Siune. The rest of the group seemed to get what had happened, so they didn't comment on the response.

"So," said Jun, a two-handed sword-wielder, trying to clear the awkward silence, "moving on to different things. Have you found anyone that can help us?" He ended up posing the question that many of the other members seemed to have been wanting to ask but didn't have the nerve. They all turned to Yuuki, waiting for her to respond."

Well, actually..." Yukki started, "I don't think I have anyone yet, but I am sure that the person will come along soon." As she said this, Yuuki started to feel nervous and embarrassed about that issue. She knew that everyone was patiently waiting for her decision, but so far, all she could say was that she hadn't found someone yet. Upon hearing this news, everyone sunk their heads, feeling like there wasn't any hope.

"But actually, I have better news to share with all of you," said Yuuki, who was trying to lighten up the mood. _This is it, let's see what they feel about it, _Yuuki thought.

"What is it, Yuuki?" asked Siune.

"Yeah, what is it?" the others chimed in.

"Well, it's a long story..." started Yuuki. In a matter of minutes, she told them about her deadline announcement a few months ago. As she was telling them, she was reminded of the pain and sadness that she felt. Then she told them about the doctors message earlier that day and how he had told her that she was to try this new drug. "And so, he wants to see if I can take the drug and see if it works. The treatment is due to start up early the next morning," ended Yuuki.

As everyone stood there, digesting what they had just been told, looks of pure joy and relief showed on their face. In a matter of moments, the boys of the guild began cheering ecstatically and jumping up and down. Yuuki had to admit, they were a crazy bunch. When she turned to see Siune, she saw that she had began to cry silently among the guys. But Yuuki knew those tears were from sadness. _Not like the tears she shed earlier, _Yuuki thought. She knew that Siune's tears were actually tears of joy for her dear friend.

That day, after their little fit, the boys decided to take Yuuki and Siune out to eat and to celebrate Yuuki's chance of survival. The girls just laughed and accepted, knowing full well that when the boys did this, they wouldn't take no for an answer. So they went to the Central Plaza of the Starting City and in an instant, teleported bakc to Floor 20 and celebrated at the best tavern in town.

As the group celebrated, Yuuki realized something about the guild. She noted that although her dear members and friends were battling the most dangerous of diseases in the real world, they always seemed to have joy in their hearts. And as she thought about this, a feeling of warmth began to eminate from deep within her chest. _Maybe this is what hope feels like, _Yuuki thought, relishing the as the night came to a close and the morning rays of the sun began to show over the horizon, Yuukisaid goodbye to her companions, hoping that she could see them as soon as the treatment process ended in the real world.


End file.
